Hod Rod the Red Hooded Autobot
by SilverBlade
Summary: A storm hits Christmas Town, and Hot Rod is the only one that can save Christmas.


Hot Rod The Flame Hooded Autobot

A tall purple, red, and white Autobot walks knee-deep in snow, through some evergreen trees that are partially covered in snow. "No matter how long I'll live, I'll never be able to forget that big snow storm a couple of years ago on Earth. The weather closed in, and if you can believe it, Earth almost missed Christmas." He clears his throat. "Excuse me, call me Al. Short for Alpha Trion. What's the matter, have you never seen a old manly robot in purple before?"

He sledges through the snow again. "It's nice around here, isn't it? I call it 'Christmas Town', better known as The North Pole." He points out the various trees. "Christmas tree forest. That's where were grow them. Of course, the number 1 citizens up here are the Prime's; Optimus and Elita-1. They live right over there, first spacecraft on the left. In fact, it's the only spacecraft on the left."

Inside the Spacecraft, Elita-1 and a very slim Prime are sitting at a dining table with various size and colors of energon cubes. Elita-1 is holding red armor with a large white strip on the top

"Prime, you haven't had a lot of energon. I might have to take this armor in to get resized. **Eat**"

Prime looks back at her. "I'm busy, Elita, It's almost Christmas!"

"Who'd ever heard of a skinny Santa? Eat, **Eat**." Elita responds back harshly.

"Now don't any of you worry your heads about Santa. Elita will have him plenty bulked up by Christmas Eve." He walks some more in the snow with a smile on his face. "I love this Christmas-y time of year. Especially when everything is running happy and smooth like it is this season. Nothing like that year of the big snow storm." He shivers slightly. "I do not know what we would have done without Hot Rod there to pull us through. Anyways.. Hmm? Could it be that some of you are not acquainted with the story of Hot Rod? Well then, pull up an ice block and lend an ear. Well, you know how Prime uses flying wheeled vehicles to pull his truck?" He begins to sing:

"Well you know Mirage, and Bluestreak, and Springer and Arcee.

Sunstreak, and Streetwise, Sideswipe and Smokescreen.

But do you recall

The most famous Auto of all?"

Alpha Trion continues. "Now let me tell you about Hot Rod. It all started a couple of years before the big snow. It was springtime and Prime's lead Autobot Springer had just become a mentor."

A shuttle lands by the Spacecraft in the North Pole and the loading ramp slides down before a young, red Autobot walks out with a flame insignia on his chest. He approaches the awaiting Springer and hands him a data pad. "Reporting for duty, sir."

Springer takes the data pad and looks it over. "Hmm, no designation. Must be a new bot. According to your specs, your earth mode is a based off the Ford GT racing design. Guess it's our job to name you. What do you think?" He turns to a pink female Autobot, who says "I've got just the name. 'Hot Rod'" He smiles and responds "You must be Arcee." Arcee nods and shakes hands with Hot Rod. "I will be your secondary mentor incase Springer isn't available."

Hot Rod's flame insignia begins to glow red, but he seems to not notice it.

"He's got a shiny hood!" exclaims Arcee.

"Shiny? I'd even say it glows. But this can't be good.." responds Springer.

"Well, we'll simply have to overlook it." Says Arcee.

"How can you overlook that?" Springer asks. "His hood blinks like a blinking beacon."

Prime walks over to the three. "Well Springer, where's the new recruit? After all, if he is to be on my team one day, he better get to know me." He looks over to the younger red bot and walks over "You're a solid looking bot that looks like he can handle himself."

"It's an honor to meet your Prime, I've heard a lot about you back on Cybertron." Hot Rod says, trying to hold his excitement.

"Ah, you're smart too. Didn't even have to introduce myself."

Hot Rod's flame insignia begins to glow again, and Prime steps back a bit. "Great jumping Sharkticons!"

"I'm sure it'll stop as soon as he grows up, Prime. I'd probably a glitch in the timing software that'll resolve itself in time, Prime."

"Well, lets hope so if he wants to make the truck team some day." Prime begins. "You see Hot Rod, I shine up my jingle bells for eight lucky Autobots. So work on getting that hood under control and you might be considered one day. Well, time is running short, and I've got to supervise the progress of the toys." With that, Prime leaves.

Springer shakes his head. "Prime is right, He'll never make the truck team." He pauses for a second. "Wait a minute! I've got it. We'll hide the flame insgnia"

"Hide it?" Arcee asks, and Springer looks around for a piece of metal and manipulates it expertly, and attaches it onto Hot Rod's chest to hide the flame logo. "There, now you'll be a normal bot just like everybody else."

Alpha Trion begins to speak "For the first year, Springer and Arcee did a fair job of hiding Hot Rod's unique hood plate. Springer taught Hot Rod the ins and outs of being an Autobot. How to find energon, how to fight off enemies, things like that, but most important, he taught young Hot Rod to be wary of the Abominable Snow Mech of the North. He's mean, he's nasty, and hates everything about Christmas."

"Now, aside from the Abominable, business goes on as usual, and soon, it is right before Christmas, and everyone is getting ready for that big, big truck ride on the night of the twenty-fourth, Christmas Eve! You see, all the toys that Prime brings are made by these, elves. It seems that elves have that certain knack for toy making. Well, except for this one misfit."

An assembly line of elves is working at one of the long tables, each doing a specific task. The last elf is a way behind on his work.

"DANIEL!" the elf foreman yells out, causing Daniel to drop the toy from being startled. "Aren't you finished applying the Light Emitting strips yet? There's a pile up a mile wide behind you! What's wrong with you?"

"Just…not happy in my work, I guess." Daniel responds sadly

"WHAT?!" The foreman says angrily.

"I just don't like to make toys." Responds Daniel.

"Well, if that's all.." he pauses for a moment, now just realizing what Daniel is saying. "WHAT?! You don't like to make toys?

"No.." Daniel responds back.

"Did you hear that? Daniel doesn't like to make toys!" the foreman says to the line of elves, who proceed to mock him relentlessly.

"Why don't you tell me what you DO want to do." The foreman says harshly.

"Well sir, I want to be, a mechanic working for the Autobots." He says.

"A mechanic?! Working for the Autobots? They already have 2 here. Ratchet and Wheeljack. You can't possibly have anything to offer them." The foreman says as the rest of the elves laugh mockingly in the background.

"Actually, sir, they need an elf-sized mechanic to get into the spots which Autobot hands are too big. I've been reading up on Cybertronian biology!" He says excitedly as he pulls out a book titled 'Cybertronian Biology for Dummies'. "It's truly fascinating. Servos and T-cogs and spark chambers!"

"Now listen here. You're an elf, and elves make toys! Now get to work!" The foreman elf demanded.

A digital alarm is heard and the foreman looks to the rest of the elves. "Ten minute break!" He sees that Daniel is about to get up and leave. He grabs his shoulder and pushes him on the seat again. "Not for you! Finish the job, or you're fired!"

The rest of the elves, and the foremen, leave the room.

Daniel, of course, begins to sing.

"I am not a nit wit

and you can't fire me, I quit!

Seems that I don't fit in"

Alpha Trion speaks again "That's the life of an out casted elf, I guess. Meanwhile, Hot Rod is going through his own growing pains as well. Springer is determined to keep Hot Rod's glowing hood a secret."

"Alright Hot Rod, try this on." He says as he hands Hot Rod a red piece of metal that's perfectly shaped to his hood.

"I don't want to Springer. I don't like it. It covers this cool flaming image, plus it'll slow down my transformation sequence!"

"You'll like it and wear it!" Springer scolds the young bot as he removes the older pieces and puts the new piece on Hot Rod's hood.

"Springer, this isn't very comfortable. It weighs me down!" Hot Rod pleaded.

"There's more important things to life than comfort like self respect! Prime can't object to you now." Springer says harshly.

Alpha Trion continues "And so time passes. Christmas comes and goes on schedule, and soon it is April. That's when all of the apprentices come out and meet the other apprentices with their mentors, and to be inspected by Prime."

"Now Hot Rod. Forget about your flaming image. Get out there and do your stuff. And remember, you are my apprentice." Springer says as he stands beside Arcee as they watch Hot Rod go out to meet the others.

Hot Rod bumps into a navy blue autobot with two missile launches on his shoulders and gets knocked down "Hello, I'm Tracks. What's your name?"

"Hot Rod" he responds.

"Come on Hot Rod." Tracks says as he reaches a hand down to life him up.

"Where are we going?" Hot Rod asks

"To the Autobot games. Makes mufflers loud. Besides, it's a great way to show off in front of femmes. Come on!"

"Meanwhile" Alpha begins. "The elves are bustling with activity. Christmas may be over, but they keep busy in elf improvement with research and lessons."

Prime and Elita are sitting on what appears to be two thrones, while the foremen elf tries to gather some of the elves.

Prime has a look of annoyance and impatience as he looks at the holographic display on his wrist at the time. "Lets get this over with, I've got to look over the new Autobots."

"Everyone gather around for elf practice!" the foreman calls out, then the elves form a line. "Ok. One, two, three."

The elves do begin to sing "We are O Prime's elves". They seem to have the whole thing choreographed expertly from the start, somehow. All the while, Prime is getting more and more irritated, but Elita seems to enjoy it.

"Hmmm" Prime begins. "It needs work. I have to go." He quickly exits the room without waiting to hear any response.

"What does Prime know?" Elita says. "You keep it the way it is." She goes after him. "Prime? Prime?"

"What was that? That sounded terrible! Where was the tenor section?" the foreman yells at one of the elves. The elf responds with "It wasn't our fault sir, Daniel didn't show up today."

"WHAT?!"

Daniel sits at the workshop table again, working on what looks to be a spare Cybertronian digit assembly.

The foremen shoves the doors open and comes in yelling "Why weren't you at elf practice?!"

"Just fixing a Cybertronian digit assembly. Wheeljack gave me a spare Autobot finger so I could practice. " Daniel responds.

"Now listen. We need to make toys that run, blink, talk, walk and even run a temperature! We do not need to fix robotic spare parts!" The foreman begins to scold Daniel.

"I'd just though I'd find a way to fit in." Daniel says.

"You'll never fit in!" the foreman yells then begins to walk away. He turns back and says "Now you come out here and begin to wiggle your ears and go he he and ho ho, and important stuff like that. A Cybertronian mechanic! I don't believe it!" He walks out and slams the door, and knocks over a few things in the process.

"No. I just can't. Like he says, I'll never fit in." Daniel says as he picks up his book. He walks over to the window and pushes it open. He climbs onto the windowsill. "I guess I'm on my own now." He climbs out the window.

All of the younger Autobots are mingling and some are even wrestling like regular guys do. Tracks looks up "Hey look, femmes!"

One of the female Autobots has her optics on Hot Rod. Tracks notices and elbows Hot Rod. "Hey, what do you know, one of the likes you."

"You really think so, Tracks?" Hot Rod asks.

They both look towards the female Autobots, before hearing the honking of a horn. Most of the younger Autobots walk towards the bright yellow Lamborghini Autobot, the one who made the horn noise while talking to each other.

"Alright, alright young bots, alright now!" Sunstreaker says as he tries to calm the crowd down. "That's better. My name is Sunstreaker. Now, even though I'm your instructor, I want to be your pal. My job is to make Bots out of you, so lets go!"

The younger bots, once again, begin to talk to each and Sunstreaker honks the horn again. "Alright then. Our first game is called 'Takeoff'. We all want to pull Prime's truck one day, so we all must learn to fly. Now, who's first?" All of the younger bots begin to plead Sunstreaker altogether. "One at a time, One at a time!" He looks at one of them "You're Mirage's apprentice aren't you? Now, the trick is to get enough speed and jumping into the wind. Got it? Go ahead."

The first younger bot transforms into his vehicle mode – an F1 race car, much like Mirage. He drives down the snow-covered field, turns around, and speeds back. He tries to use the shock/jump mechanisms in the wheel to jump, only to land back down.

"Very good for a first try!" Sunstreaker says as the younger bots laugh at the failed attempt. Next?"

"He won't get to us for a while. Now's your chance to get acquainted with that femme." Tracks says to Hot Rod, looking over to the one that was interested in Hot Rod before.

Hot Rod walks over to the femme, looking a little nervous.

"Nice day" she says to him.

"Yep" He says back, nervously.

"For takeoff practice, I mean.." she says, also nervous.

"Yep" He responds.

"I bet you'll be the best." She says with a smile

"Aww..I don't know" Hot Rod says as a slight glow begins to emanate from the metal covering on his chest.

"Is something wrong with your hood?" she asks him. "I mean, you talk kind of funny, like you're out of breath"

"What's so funny about the way I talk?" Hot Rod asks her, kind of upset.

"Don't get angry, I don't mind" she says calmly.

"You don't?" Hot Rod asks cheerily

"My name's Chromia. Hi."

"My name's Hot Rod. Hi."

"Hey, after practice, would you? he begins to say, before Sunstreaker calls him. "Hot Rod, you get back here, it's your turn, you know!"

"Crap, I've got to go back" Hot Rod says as he is about to leave, then says to Chromia nervously. "Would you want to go with me?"

"Uh huh. Hot Rod" Chromia responds, and then finishes with "I think you're cute!"

Hot Rod smile wide as he transformers in his vehicle mode. "I'm cute!" he yells. "I'm cuuute!" he jumps high into the air, almost naturally and without much effort.

"Magnificent!" Sunstreaker exclaims as Hot Rod keeps rejoicing that a female Autobot called him cute. Hot Rod jumps again into the air and flies for a short bit.

Prime came over and sees Hot Rod in the sky. "Not bad, not bad at all!"

Hot Rod eventually lands near Tracks. "Did you hear that? She says I'm cute!"

"You lucky bot, Hot Rod!" Tracks says as he pulls his head under his arms. "Robo noogie!" he calls out as he gives Hot Rod a noogie. The two bots begin to wrestle, like all boys do. As the boys crash onto the ground, Hot Rod's extra cover comes flying off, showing his flame insignia glowing more intensely, with small flames coming out of logo itself.

Tracks begins to back off. "What in the matrix?"

"Tracks, what's the matter?" Hot Rod asks, apparently not bothered by the glow or tiny flames.

"Get away, get away!" Tracks says as he keeps walking backwards from Hot Rod.

Sunstreaker walks over "Now now, what's all this about and aaahh!" he looks at Hot Rod's flaming logo.

All of the other Autobots surround Hot Rod and begin to laugh at him and call him names like "Fire snow" and "Bozo the Bot"

"Hey, stop calling me names!" Hot Rod pleaded, but the torment continued. One even said. 'The Flame Hooded Autobot'

"Springer!" Prime marched over to him. "You should be ashamed of yourself. A pity too, he had a great take-off."

Sunstreaker honks his horn again. "Alright young bots, back to practice." He says. He watches the younger bots run back, but stops Hot Rod. "Oh no. Not you. You better go home with your folks. From now on gang, we won't allow Hot Rod into any Autobot Games. His flaming hood is too much of a danger."

Hot Rod transforms and speeds off to the trees, as Chromia calls out "Hot Rod?" She too goes into vehicle mode and chases after him, calling him a few times.

She eventually catches up to Hot Rod, and he turns to her "Well, what do you want?"

"You, you promised to walk me home." She says sadly.

"Aren't you going to laugh at my hood too?" He asks harshly.

"I think it's a great looking hood. Much better than that false covering you were wearing." She responds.

"It's terrible! It's different from everybody else's." he says dejectedly.

"But that's what makes it so unique! Why, any femme would consider herself lucky to be with you." She says.

"Yeah?" he asks "But I wasn't very lucky today, was I?

Chromia looks at Hot Rod, and he takes her hand, and they begin to walk in the snow.

"Chromia?" A male voice is heard. She turns around. "Magnus?"

"You get back to your quarters this instant." Magnus says sternly.

"Magnus, but I.."

"This instant young lady!"

"Yes sir" she says timidly

"There is one thing I want to make very plain, no femme apprentice of mine is going to be seen with a flame-hooded Autobot."

Chromia walks away, trailing Magnus.

Hot Rod sits on a large boulder next to a snowy mound. Daniel's head pops up from under the snow. "Oh, is this your snow bank?"

Hot Rod shakes his head. "No. Who are you?"

"Well, I am a Cybertronian Mechanic." Daniel declairs.

"A mechanic?" Hot Rod asks.

"Well, I want to be, some day. Right now, I'm just an elf. But I don't need anybody. I'm independent!" Daniel says.

"Same with me." Hot Rod responds.

"Hey, lets be independent together." Daniel asks him.

"You wouldn't mind my flaming hood?" Hot Rod asks, as the image on his hood glows flames.

"Not if you don't mind me being a mechanic."

"It's a deal." Hot Rod says.

As Hot Rod drives through the snowy terrain with Daniel in the driver's seat, Alpha Trion's voice is heard "Now these two didn't have any idea what they were letting themselves in for. The world looked a lot more complicated, and dangerous than when they were snug and warm back home"

Hot Rod and Daniel hears a very mechanical roaring over the sound of the engine. "It's the Abominable. He must be seeing your flaming glow. Quick, douse the light." Daniel says as he turns off any of the external lights from the car's control panel.

A large, grey mechanical beast with piercing glowing red eyes peeks from the mountaintops.

Alpha Trion's voice is heard while the two continue to travel through the blustery snow. "Well, Hot Rod and Daniel somehow managed to make it through the first night."

Daniel and Hot Rod stop for a moment beside a wall of snow. Daniel exits the car and Hot Rod goes into bot mode.

"You hear that?" Daniel asks, as he hears mechanical barking in the distance.

"I do. Quick, lets hide." Replies Hot Rod before they dive into the snow bank beside them, their legs very obviously sticking out, especially Hot Rod's.

A red and white robotic figure with a mustache and goatee sits on a very large metallic sled, being led by robotic wolves that have a very heavy Junkion inspired look. The robotic figure above snaps an electric whip in the air. "Mush, MUSH. Don't you understand North Pole talk!" he then sees 2 pairs of legs sticking out the the snow "Whoa! WHOA~!" he says as the dogs finally stop beside the two trying to hide in the snow bank.

He gets off of the sled and yanks them out with ease. "You can get frost bite that way."

"Who are you?" Hot Rod asks.

"Who am I?" the goateed bot starts off. "Wreck Gar is the name, and prospecting is my game. Prospecting gold and silver that is!" He pauses for a few minutes. "Well then, I'm off to get some supplies like energon packs, ammo packs and metallic wire, I'll give you a lift, hop aboard." He doesn't even wait for them to move, he picks up Daniel and Hot Rod and puts them in the extra seats on his massive sled. He snaps his electric whip in the air to get the robotic dogs moving again.

Just as the group was leaving, the grey mechanical beast peeks out from the snow, watching them. He stands up fully; his shape is heavily inspired by a T-rex, letting out a monstrous roar, showing his really sharp triangular teeth, and looks menacingly down at the group.

Wreck Gar immediately becomes frightened. "The great snow-mech of the north strikes again!"

"It's my hood. It keeps giving us away!" Hot Rod says in a panic tone.

"We're going to have to outwit the snow mech with our superior intellect." Wreck Gar says wisely.

"How?!" asks Hot Rod.

"RUN!" Wreck Gar yells out as he whips the robotic canines into action.

The group races down the snow covered land while the snow mech chases, roaring all the way. They eventually get to the edge of the ice.

"We're trapped! There's no way out. It's my hood again. It keeps giving us away!" Hot Rod says as the flaming image on his chest glows some more.

"This mech has one weakness, and I know it!" Wreck Gar exclaims as he reaches for his axe on his back and begins to hack at the ice. The ice eventually breaks off and the group flows away from the ice shelf. "Observe his one weakness" Wreck Gar starts as the group watches the screaming grey T-Rex tries to enter the water but sinks immediately.

"The snow-mech sinks. He can not swim!" Wreck Gar says as a massively large robot exits the water, with his back turned to the group showing the head of the T-Rex. He turns around and roars again through his faceplate, showing a gold metallic chest with an Autobot insignia.

Hot Rod watches this. "Wait, he's an Autobot. It's a good thing I recorded that." He turns to Wreck Gar. "Where are we going?"

"You're going to stick with me, and we're going to be rich with the biggest silver strike this side of Hudson bay!"

As the group floats on the water, Alpha Trion begins to say "Yes, our friends were really on their way, but they really had no idea where they were going."

He continues. "Now, you can bet that Springer felt pretty bad the way that he treated Hot Rod, and he know that the only thing to do, was to go out and look for his apprentice. Arcee wanted to go along, but Springer said 'No, He's my apprentice, I need to go'. No sooner after Springer left that Arcee and Chromia decided to set out on their own. But, they were really taking their chances, because as you see, that little iceboat had run into a pack of wicked fog."

"This fog is thicker than peanut butter." Wreck Gar says.

"Don't you mean Starscream's skull?" Daniel retorted.

"Hey, you eat what you…" He starts off, before realizing what Daniel said. "You know, that's pretty good." The three had a good chuckle before the iceboat crashes and sends them to the ground.

"Land Hooo!" Wreck Gar says like he's a pirate captain.

"No..kidding." Daniel says sarcastically.

"Where are we?" Hot Rod asks as he looks at jagged mountains and towards a castle.

Daniel stepped back and bumped into a bulky stand with a short camera on top of it. He turns around to see the camera looking right at him. "Halt, who goes there?"

"We're Hot Rod, Daniel, and Wreck Gar. Who are you?" Hot Rod responds.

"I'm the official Sentry of the Island of Misfit Tech." The camera responds.

"An iSight camera for a sentry?" Daniel asks quickly.

"Yes, my name is.." the sentry begins to say, until Hot Rod interrupts him. "Don't tell me..'iSight'?"

"No, uSight. That's why I'm a misfit tech item. My name is entirely wrong! No Apple fan boy wants to use a 'uSight' camera!" The sentry cries. "So I had to come here."

"But, where's here?" Daniel asks.

The group looks around as multiple wrapped boxes open up with various hardware items from the tech world.

An iPhone is dropped into Daniel's hands, and it's sound beeps "How would you like to be an iPhone with the software 'LIRI'?"

"Or a RIM Touchpad?" says another one.

A sphere rolls in with wiry 'tentacles' coming out of it hits some well-placed plastic bowling pins. "How would you like to be a media center, that only uses the web?" The writing on the sphere says 'Nexus' on it

"Or a game that took 15 years to program, and still didn't kick ass and chew bubblegum?" says a muscular guy, carrying two machine guns, wearing sunglasses and a buzz cut of blonde hair.

A TV with 2 attached consoles activates, the face on the screen red and black "Or a High-Definition movie player, that became obsolete?" The screen switches to a white Google background, with the o's for eyes. "Or a set top box made for delivering web video to the TV, that all of the networks blocked?"

They all yell, "We're all misfits!"

"We're also misfits too. Maybe we could stay here for a while." Hot Rod says.

"Well, you're going to have to get permission from King Steeljaw." uSight responds.

"Who's he?" Hot Rod asks

"He rules here. Every night, he searches the entire earth. When he finds some misfit tech item, one that has been forgotten, he brings it here to live on this island, until someone wants it. He's holding court in his castle right now."

Hot Rod, Daniel, and Wreck Gar walk up to Steeljaw's throne

"Come closer. What do you desire?" asks Steeljaw.

"We are a couple of misfits from Christmas town. We would like to live here." Hot Rod explains.

"No, that would not be possible." Steeljaw starts. "This island is for tech alone."

"Even among misfits, you're misfits!" Wreck Gar objects.

"Unlike tech things, living creatures can not hide themselves on this island. But perhaps, being misfits yourselves, you can help the tech here. When someday you return to Christmas town, would you tell Santa about our forgotten tech? I'm sure he can find future owners who would be happy with them." Steeljaw says to the group.

"When and if we ever get back, We'll tell Santa, Sir."

"Good. You are free to spend the night. Footmen! Show our guests to their chambers." He says as the RIM Touchpad 'walks' them to their room.

"Well, it's settled then. Tomorrow, we all leave together." Daniel starts.

"But the Abominable Snow Mech will see my hood and get us all" Hot Rod says as his hood glows. "I've got to go alone."

"It's all for one and one fo…Lets just got some shut eye." Wreck Gar says, then falls asleep.

"But.." Hot Rod says, and then Daniel interrupts with "It's all settled." He too falls asleep.

"Well, Hot Rod realizes that he can't endanger his friends lives anymore. So, that night, he decides to go out on his own" Alpha Trion voice-overs as Hot Rod manages to exit the area.

He walks onto the edge of the ice, and breaking a portion off of it, and floats out onto the water.

Alpha Trion begins. "Well, time passed slowly, Hot Rod existed as best he could. The snow mech kept him on the run, but once in a while, he would stop to make a friend or two. But that wouldn't last long, and he would be on his own again. But during that time, some things were happening."

Hot Rod begins to look a bit more bulky, and muscular, if that were possible for a Cybertronian. He was maturing as an Autobot though.

"Hot Rod was growing up." Alpa Trion continues. "And Hot Rod began to realize that you can't drive away from your troubles. Pretty soon he knew where he had to go. Home."

Back in the North Pole/Christmas Town, a few of the Autobots were talking to each other when Hot Rod drove up to them.

"I thought you were gone for good." One of them says. "Hey, look who returned, it's Flamer." The other Autobots laughed and Hot Rod leaves the group.

He arrived back Prime's spacecraft, yelling "Arcee? Springer? I'm back!"

"They've gone, Hot Rod. They've been gone for months out looking for you." Prime says as he walks up to Hot Rod.

"And Chromia?" Hot Rod looks at Prime.

"Her too. And I'm very worried. Christmas Eve is only two days off, and without your mentor, I'll never be able to get my truck off the ground."

"Gone?" Hot Rod says sadly. "I'll find them, Prime, I'll find them all."

"Well, he was just about to leave when suddenly, it hit. The storm of storms." Alpha Trion voice-overs as parts of the spacecraft begin to tear off and some igloos are destroyed. "And only two days before Christmas Eve." He continues as some of the elves were caught outside and being bombarded with flying debris such as Christmas ornaments and boxes.

"Now Hot Rod knew he had to find his friends right away." Alpha Trion continues his voice over as Hot Rod drives through the snowstorm. "And he knew where he had to look, the cave of the Abominable Snow Mech.

Hot Rod approaches the cave and transforms to bot mode before going in. He sees the grey T-Rex with holding Chromia and roaring threatingly.

"Put her down!" Hot Rod demands. The T-Rex drops Chromia and sets his attention on Hot Rod. The T-Rex dives for Hot Rod, but he moves out of the way, to cause the T-Rex to land on his front side on the ground. Hot Rod goes into vehicle mode and rams into the T-Rexes ass, reverses, and does it again. As the T-Rex gets up, Hot Rod quickly transforms, only to be smacked by a piece of the stone that the monster ripped off the ceiling and the T-Rex roars at the unconscious Hot Rod.

"Oh, where was I?" Alpha Trion begins to talk. "Their last chance. Not quite, you see, ever since Hot Rod left them, Daniel and Wreck Gar have been trying to find their friend. Well, they arrive in Christmas Town just as the storm hit, and it's a good thing that they set out right after Hot Rod."

"Hey, look." Daniel says to Wreck Gar, pointing at a cave entrance, as the Junkion-inspired dogs pull them. Wreck Gar eventually stops the dogs and the two hops off of the sled. The two approach the cave and peek in.

"What do we do? We can't let that monster get a hold of them." Daniel asks.

"I've got an idea." Wreck Gar says as he lifts Daniel up to eye level with him and whispers.

"Not bad, it might work."

Daniel and Wreck Gar watch as the T-Rex stands over the three other Autobots, looking like he's about to make one of them into a meal.

"Why doesn't he get it over with?" Chromia says with tears in her voice.

"Arcee? Chromia?" Hot Rod says as he begins to wake up.

"Are you sure we can get him to come out here?" Daniel asks

"Never knew a snow mech yet who would turn down a pork dinner for Autobots. Now do your stuff." Wreck Gar says as he climbs the outer side of the cave entrance.

Daniel, being a techno nerd, takes out a hand held data pad, turns the speaker volume up to full, and plays a realistic sound of a group of hogs making some noise. "This honestly reminds me of an old Christmas special. Only a complete idiot would fall for that and only a complete idiot would think that would work." He whispers to himself.

"Put some more hogs into that. That mech is hungry!" Wreck Gar says.

Daniel adjusts the settings in the sound-effect app, adding in a ton more hogs into the audio.

As the T-Rex was roaring at the Autobot captives, he overhears the sound of a large group of hogs and is instantly intrigued and begins to walk out of the cave. As Wreck Gar sees the head of the T-Rex, he pushes a large ice boulder onto it's head, knocking him down. He takes out his axe and knocks out a stone boulder, and pushes that onto the T-Rex's head to knock him unconscious.

"Alright mechanic, you take it from here." Wreck Gar tells Daniel, as Daniel pulls out a multi-tool.

"It's Wreck Gar!" Hot Rod exclaims as Wreck Gar comes in "In person!"

"We're saved!" Chromia calls out.

"Lets get out of here." Wreck Gar says, before they hear a muffled roar.

"What does it take to knock him down?" Wreck Gar says as he looks at the T-Rex.

Daniel walks underneath the legs of the T-Rex. "Don't let this one scare you anymore, just walk right past him." He says, as the T-Rex's mouth seems to be bolted shut, as the T-Rex moves his arms to his head in a panic.

The T-Rex lets out another muffled roar again, this time, pissed.

"This guy is nothing without his choppers!" Wreck Gar says as he runs towards the T-Rex and begins to push and punch at him, causing the T-Rex to step backwards towards the edge of the cliff. Wreck Gar jumps one last time and pushes the T-Rex off of the cliff, with the Junkion Dogs following suit.

"Wreck Gar!" Daniel and Hot Rod call out in unison, and rush to the edge. "He's gone. He's..gone."

The group step away from the edge, as they all transform to their vehicle modes. Daniel hops into Hot Rod's drivers seat and they drive off as Alpha Trion's voice over begins. "They are all very sad at the loss of their friend. But they realize, the best thing to do, is to get the women back to Christmas Town."

Alpha Trion continues. "So they make it back, and when everybody hears their story, they start to realize that they were maybe a little hard on the misfits. Maybe misfits have a place too. Prime even realizes that maybe, even he was wrong."

"Hot Rod, I promise, as soon as this storm lets up, I'll find homes for all of those misfit tech." Prime says to Hot Rod.

"Alright, you can become a Cybertronian Mechanic. Wheeljack has wanted someone with small hands for ages. You start next week after Christmas." The elf foreman says to Daniel

"I'm sorry too, Hot Rod, for the way I acted" Springer says to him, with Chromia beside him.

Then everyone hears a banging on the large heavy doors. "Open up!" someone says from the other side. "It isn't fit for Bot Nor Beast!"

Two of the elves open the big metal doors. Wreck Gar comes in, pulling a large metallic cable. "Here's the bot, and here's the beast!" he pulls in the T-Rex. Everyone in the room seems to panic and step away.

"Now calm down, I've reprogrammed this beast. He apparently was one of you."

As soon as Prime notices, he walks up to Wreck Gar and the T-Rex. "He was. Wheeljack and Ratchet built him to protect us up here in the north from Decepticons. I guess being in his animal mode for too long messed with his programming. Welcome back Grimlock."

Grimlock transforms into his hulking bot mode. "Me Grimlock help you." He says as he picks up the Christmas star and places it on top of the tree, as he is the only one in the room that can reach.

"But, but you went over the side of the cliff." Hot Rod says to Wreck Gar.

"Snow Mechs can survive that. And I landed on him, so he broke my fall."

Alpha Trion continues his voice over, as the elves are working hard. "As everyone feels, this is no time for celebrating, because the next evening was Christmas Eve! The biggest day of the year!"

Elita and Prime are again sitting at a holographic table, casually eating some energon pieces.

"Eat, Prime, Eat." Elita says

"How can I eat?" Prime responds.

"But you're going to disappoint the children! They expect a fat Santa" Elita says to Prime.

"Hold on Elita, I have to check the weather." He starts off. "Teletran 2, weather report." A holographic screen appears in front of the two. "Well, this is it, this storm won't subside by tonight. We'll have to cancel Christmas."

"Prime..are you sure?" asks Elita.

"Everything's grounded. The poor kids, they've been soo good this year. But I couldn't chance it. I'll have to tell everybody that it's all off this year.

Prime walks out to the main hallway to address the elves and the Autobots. "Quiet, quiet please." Everybody then hushes. "I've got some bad news. Christmas is going to be cancelled."

Everybody immediately begins to talk to each other. "There's nothing I can do." Prime says. "This weather, I.." Hot Rod walks up to Prime and the flame image on his hood starts to glow. "Hot Rod, Hot Rod.." Prime says as the glowing intensifies exponentially until real, slow moving flames are emanating from the logo, almost angelic like. The light from the flame intensifies more until all of the other lights in the room are overpowered by the glow of the flame. The light is so intense that is creates shadows on the wall and is seen from the outside of the spacecraft.

"Hot Rod, please, would you tone it down a bit." Prime starts to say. "I mean, that hood of yours, I…that..hood! That beautiful wonderful hood!"

Hot Rod seems confused. "What?"

"Christmas is not off! You are going to lead my team!" Prime says excitedly.

"I, I am?" Hot Rod asks.

"Yes sir." Prime responds. "You and that wonderful hood of yours!"

"My hood sir?" Hot Rod responds, still utterly confused.

"From what I see now, that flaming hood of yours can cut through the murkiest storm nature can dish out. What I'm trying to say is, Hot Rod, with your hood so bright, won't you guide my truck tonight?" Prime asks Hot Rod

Hot Rod thinks for a minute. "It would be an honor sir."

Everyone in the room, of course, cheers.

"I knew that hood would be useful some day." Springer says to Arcee,

The elves then get all of the gifts ready and are loading them into Prime's trailer. Eight Autobots; Mirage, Bluestreak, Springer, Arcee, Sunstreak, Streetwise, Sideswipe and Smokescreen are in vehicle mode, in formation in front of Prime, who is also in vehicle mode. Hot Rod leads the pack in his vehicle mode, and all of the Autobots are chained together with energon-like ropes coming out of Prime's headlights.

"Ready Hot Rod?" Prime asks.

"Ready, Prime!" he responds.

"Ok Hot Rod. Full torque!" Prime calls out

Hot Rod begins to rev his engine, and the rest of the Autobots in formation begin to rev theirs, one after the other. The flaming image on Hot Rod's hood glows brightly with flames emanating from it.

Two of the elves open the huge metallic doors "First stop, the Island if Misfit Tech!" Prime calls out as the Autobots begin to pull Prime and his trailer out of the place and into the sky. (If Reindeer can fly, so can wheeled vehicles, dammit!)

On the Island of Misfit tech, a few of the items are around a portable heater that can seem to stand up right.

"Well, that's it." The uSight begins to say, "It's Christmas Eve."

The Nexus Q looks to the fire "We've been forgotten again."

"I guess the storm was too much for them" The uSight camera says, teary, if that's possible. "Might as well go to bed and start dreaming about next year."

The Nexus Q begins to hear something in the background, bells mixed with the faint roar of motors. "Wait, what's that? Is it?"

The uSight camera 'jumps' as he looks in the sky and zooms in "It sure is! And Hot Rod is leading the way!"

All of the misfit tech items gather around as Prime and the Autobots land on the ground.

"Lets be on our way!" Prime says as the tech items hop into the back of Prime's trailer. "Ready Hot Rod?"

"Ready, Santa!" he calls back.

"Ok Hot Rod, Full Torque!" He calls out.

Hot Rod's hood flames up again. He and the rest of the Autobots pull Prime and his trailer into the sky once more.

Alpha Trion, begins his conclusion. "Well folks, as for the rest of the story.."

"Hot Red of Red Hooded Auto,

Had a very flaming nose

And if you ever saw it

You would even say it glows.

All of the other Autos

Used to laugh and call him names

They never let poor Hot Rod

Join in any Auto games

Then one foggy Christmas Eve

O Prime came to say

"Hot Rod with your hood so bright

Won't you guide my truck tonight?"

Then all the Auto's loved in

As they shouted out with glee

Hot Rod the Red Hooded Auto

You'll go down in history!

Hot Rod the Red Hooded Auto

You'll go down in history!

Prime calls out through the night "Merry Christmas!"


End file.
